Artificial limb.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.-

J. I SHELBY. ARTIFICIAL LIME.-

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 2, 1901.

UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT OFrrcE.

JAMES E. SEELEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO W. W. SIVEENEY(10:, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ARTIFICIAL LIIVIB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,226, dated February21, 1905.

Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,305.

: lowing: first, extreme lightness and simplicity and cheapness ofmanufacture; second, improved resiliency and natural action of the toeand ankle articulation; third, an improved action in lifting the footand in returning the toe to natural position as the foot is lifted, thisbeing accomplished by a yielding connection between the lower foot-pieceand the lower leg-piece constructed and arranged to draw down the toeand to draw up the front of the lower foot-piece; fourth, an improvedarrangement for limiting the forward swing of the lower leg-piece;fifth, an improved adjustment for said arrangement; sixth, im-

proved elasticity and durability of the foot. To attain this latterobject, the contacting surfaces of the lower and upper foot-pieces areinclined upward at the front approximately at an angle of forty-fivedegrees. the lower foot-piece being a cushion, whereby the weight of theperson in walking is received by the cushion in lines of directlon whichare at right angles to the contacting surfaces of the cushion and thepart which rests thereon.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of a limb for leg amputation abovethe knee-joint. Fig. II is a perspective view of the knee-joint piece,

dotted lines indicating the connection of the stump-socket or upperleg-piece therewith. Fig. III is a detail of the knee-joint bolt andstraps and the knee-stop and swivel-nut with plate therefor and thepivoted support for the knee-spring whereby said spring is connectedwith the knee-stop. Fig. IV is an elevation of the lower leg-piece.Dotted lines indicate the socket for the lower leg-piece. Fig. V is afragmental detail of the knee-spring rod and the knee-spring and itscase, which latter is shown in axial section. Fig. VI is a perspectiveview of the ankle-piece. Dotted lines indicate a portion of the lowerleg-piece scoped thereon. Fig. VII isa view of the foot detached. Fig.VIII is a view of the toe-plate by which the yielding means for holdingthe toe down and drawing the foot up may be attached to the lowerfoot-piece. Fig. IX is a fragmental detail of the lower foot-piece withthe toe-plate hook and flexible connection embedded therein. Fig. X is adetail of the spring and its case for operating the toe connection todraw the toe down and hold the foot up.

The upper leg-piece comprises a stumpsocket 1 and a joint-piece 2. Saidjoint piece or member may be made from solid yucca or any other suitablematerial to constitute a knee-piece over which the thigh-socket istelescoped.

3 designates a knee joint bolt passing through the knee-piece 2 and thestump-socket 1 in the usual manner.

4 designates hinge-straps which may be riveted or otherwise fastened tothe lower legpiece 5 and into which the joint-bolt 3 is screwed fast inthe usual manner. (Not shown.)

6 designates a knee-stop hinged to the kneepiece by the knee-bolt 3. Theknee-stop is preferably L-shaped and may be made of flat tool-steel orany other suitable material and of any suitable dimensions sayone-eighth of an inch thick and three-fourths of an inch wide, orheavier or lighter, as the size of the leg may require and furnished atits upper end with an eye 7, through which the jointbolt 3 passes. Saidknee-stop 6 may be bent at a right angle and the end thereof made roundand threaded to receive a nut 8, which is swiveled to a plate 9, that isfastened by screws 10 to the inside of the lower leg-piece 5, so that byturning the nut tho'knee-stop 6 may be adjusted toward and from the axisof the lower leg-piece. The knee-piece 2 is furnished with a slot 11,which terminates below the bolt 3 in a seat or abutment 12 for theknee-stop 6.

13 designates a cushion which may be formed of rubber and felt or anyother suitable mathe turning up of the toes of felt foot-pieces terialto form a cushion-seat against which the knee-stop 6 presses when thelower leg-piece and knee-stop are in upright position.

The knee-stop 6 contacts with the seat and takes the place of theknee-cord and also by its adjustment stops the lower leg-piece at theappropriate place.

l-leretofore it has been very difficult to give the lower leg-piece theproper adjustment relative to the stump-socket, and by this improvement1 am able to substantially obviate this difficulty.

In practice it is found impossible to tell by measurement how muchforward knee motion will be required by the wearer to prevent the legfrom folding up under him; but by this arrangement of knee-stop theforward knee motion can be adjusted to any degree by simply turning theadjuster formed of the swivelnut 8. The knee-stop 6 also serves as asolid foundation on which to fasten the receiver or seat 14 for theknee-spring 15 and on which to hang the heel-cord 16. The lower legpiece5 is preferablya volute of yucca veneer made over a form and telescopedover the ankle-piece 17, the whole being covered with cloth or rawhidein the usual manner, (not shown,) so as to produce a smooth surface onwhich to enamel. The ankle-piece 17 is chambered at 18 in the bottom andrear to receive the foot in the usual manner and to allow the heel-cord16 to pass ,through and is chambered at 19 in the top and front to seatthe toe-spring 20 and to allow the connection 21 for the foot and toe topass through.

The connection 21 may be a small rod furnished with an eye 22 and passedthrough the compression-spring 20 from below and held by a nut 23, whichrests on the top-of said spring. 24 designates a catgut cord passedthrough said eye 22 and connected by a hook 25 to an aluminium plate 26,which is provided with perforations 27 to adjustably fasten the book 25and is embedded in the lower footpiece 29 and secured by stitches 28 orany other desired means. The toes and lower portion 29 of the foot aremade of the usual re' silient material, preferably felt, and the lowerportion of the connection between the toeplate 26 and the spring 20 isembedded in the material of the lower foot-piece 29 and extends alongthe sole 30 to the instep 31 and thence up to the top of the spring 20,by which it is supported and drawn upward, thereby to serve the doublepurpose of lifting the foot when in the act of stepping forward andpreventing the toes from turning up, thus avoiding a serious faultheretofore found with the felt foot.

' I have found that while the felt in common use for the lowerfoot-piece of artificial limbs is not subject to permanent change ofdimensions from compression of the wearer it is subject to such changeby stretching and that results from stretching along the sole of thefoot. This difliculty is substantially avoided in this invention bymeans of the resilient connection arranged between the toe and a solidportion of the limb to draw the toe back ward, thus counteracting thetendency to stretch.

32 designates the upper foot-piece, which may be made of a solid pieceof yucca covered and enameled in the usual way, as above explained withregard to the lower leg-piece.

The contacting-faces between the felt lower foot-piece 29 and the upperfoot-piece 32 are bent up at the front, as shown at 33, to extend upwardapproximately at right angles to the lines of direction in which theweight is applied to the toes in the act of walking, whereby anytendency of said contacting faces to slip upon each other is avoided.Said faces are cemented together in the usual way. The felt lowerportion of the foot is thus constructed to support the upper portion ofthe foot against forward slip in the act of walking.

34 designates a rod pivoted by a pin 35 to the joint-piece 2 andfurnished with a shoulder 36, which rests on the compression-spring 15to be acted upon thereby, whereby the spring is adapted to push theknee-stop 6 forward, this to hold the upper leg portion and knee-stop inextended position. (Shown in Fig. I.) The case 14 for the knee-spring 15is pivoted to the knee-stop 6by a pivot 37.

38 designates the case for the toe and foot spring 20, which is seatedin and supported by the ankle-piece.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of'the UnitedStates, is

1. An artificial limb comprising a lower legpiece and a knee-pieceappropriately hinged together, a knee-stop hinged to the knee-piece atone end and adjustably connected with the lower leg-piece at the otherend, a connection suspending the heel from the knee-stop, and yieldingmeans connected with the knee-piece and lower leg-piece to hold saidlower leg-piece forward. I

2. The combination of a knee-piece, a lower leg-piece hinged thereto, aknee-stop hinged to the knee-piece and fastened to the lower legpiece,and yielding means connected with the knee-piece and knee-stop to holdthe lowerlegpiece forward.

3. The combination of a knee-piece having a seat or abutment for aknee-stop, a lower legpiece hinged to said knee-piece, a knee-stophinged to the knee-piece and fastened to the lower leg-piece, acompression-spring, and a rod to compress said spring connected withsaid knee-piece and knee-stop respectively to yieldingly hold theknee-stop forward against its said seat.

4. The combination of a knee-piece, a lower leg-piece hinged thereto, aknee-stop hinged to the knee-piece at one end, and revoluble meansseated in the lower leg-piece adjustably engaging with the other end ofsaid kneestop,'said means being accessible from the exterior of the leg.

5. The combination of a knee-piece having a seat against which aknee-stop operates, a lower leg-piece hinged to the knee-piece, aknee-stop hinged to the knee-piece and extending into and fastened tothe lower legpiece, a spring, a receiver for said spring, means forfastening said receiver to said knee-stop, and a member connected withthe kneepiece and arranged to compress the spring to yieldingly hold thelower leg-piece forward.

6. The combination of a knee-piece having a seat for a knee-stop, alower leg-piece hinged to the knee-piece, a bent knee-stop hinged to theknee-piece and extending into the lower leg-piece and. fastened thereto,a seat or receiver on the stop for a spring, a spring on said seat, anda member connected with the kneepiece and arranged to compress thespring to yieldingly hold the lower leg-piece forward. I

7. The combination of a knee-piece, a lower leg-piece hinged thereto, aknee-stop hinged to the knee-piece and adjustably fastened to the lowerleg-piece, yielding means tending to swing the knee-stop forward, andmeans limiting forward movement of the knee-stop.

8. An artificial limb comprising a knee-piece having a slot and a seatfor a knee-stop, a stump-socket telescoped over the knee-piece, a lowerleg-piece, hinge members fastened to said lowerleg-piece, a' bolt passedthrough the knee-piece andhinge members, a knee-stop hinged on said boltand extending through said slot into the lower leg-piece, a nut swiveledto the lower"leg-piece and screwed on the knee-stop to adjust the sametoward and from the slot, and means yieldingly holding the knee-stopagainst the seat therefor.

9. The combination of a joint-piece having a journal for a bolt and aslot terminating be low said journal and extending rearwardly therefrom,a lower leg-piece hinged on said bolt, a knee-stop hinged on said boltand extending through the slot into the lower legpiece and there bentrearwardly, a nut screwed on the knee-stop and swiveled in the lowerleg-piece, and means connected with the jointpiece and with theknee-stop to yieldingly hold the knee-stop against the end of the slot.

10. An artificial limb comprising a slotted knee-piece, a lowerleg-piece hinged thereto, a bent knee-stop pivotally secured in saidslot at one end and adjustably secured to the lower leg-piece at theother, and yielding means for straightening the leg, said meansoperatively connected with the knee-piece at one end and with theintermediate portion of the kneestop at the other.

11. An artificial limb comprising a slotted knee-piece, a lowerleg-piece hinged thereto and provided with a hinged foot, a bentkneestop pivotally secured in said slot at one end and adjustablysecured to the lower leg-piece at the other, yielding means forstraightening the leg, said means engaging the knee-stop intermediateits ends, and a connection pivoted on the bent end of the knee-stop andto the heel of the foot.

12. In an artificial limb, a foot hinged to the leg and furnished with aflexible toe and a perforated plate; a yielding connection ad justablysecured to said plate and extending through the foot and fastened to thelower portion of the toe; and a heel connection connecting the heel witha support.

'13. In an artificial limb, the combination with a knee-piece, of aknee-bolt, hinge-straps pivoted thereon, a leg portion supported by saidhinge-straps, a knee-stop pivoted on said knee-bolt, a seat. on saidknee-piece against which said knee-stop operates, the lower end of saidknee-stop adjustably secured in said leg portion by revoluble meanscapable of exterior operation, yielding means operatively connected withsaid knee-piece and knee-stop and adapted to yieldingly hold said legportion forward, a foot portion, and a pivotal connectionbetween theheel thereof and the lower end of said knee-stop, substantially asdescribed.

14:. The combination of a knee-piece, a lower leg-piece hinged thereto,a knee-stop hinged to the knee-piece and fastened to the lowerleg-piece, yielding means tending to swing the knee-stop forward, andmeans limiting forward movement of the knee-stop.

15. The combination of a knee-piece,a lower leg-piece hinged thereto, aknee-stop hinged to the kneepiece and fastened to-the lower leg-piece, aseat on saidknee-piece against which said knee-stop operates, andyielding means connected with the knee-stop and kneepiece to hold thelower leg-piece forward.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, California, this26th day of November, 1901.

J. E. SEELEY.

VV'tnesses:

JAMEs R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND.

